Video games have become part of our culture. Few would argue that they are engaging for our students. But why? As a teacher have you ever wanted to harness the same learning engagement that video games offer?
The following facilitated page will endeavor to look at:
Who is using video games?
What type of games are they using?
Why video games engage our students?
What are the educational foundations of that learning?
How can we use the power of video games to engage our students in classroom learning?
Where does it fit in the curriculum?
Look at ways teachers have adapted commercial off the shelf games to create rich learning experiences.
Ways to create our own games.
Share ideas with others.
I would love you to contribute to my page about Games in Learning.
I invite anyone to reorganise and contribute to this page. If you do not feel comfortable doing that please contribute in the comments at the bottom of the page.It is released under the default knowledgeGarden Copyright license which you can access by clicking COPYRIGHT on the left menu.
Games in Learning.
Most parents and teachers (including myself sometimes) think video gaming a time-wasting occupation and cannot see benefits to learning. Today’s video game culture includes not only students and young adults but also doctors, lawyers and other professionals. For many gaming is a life focus. Players become engaged in strategy and game play.
The intrigue of gaming has been an educational research focus in the last decade. It seems the strategies of gaming have strong foundations in sound digital pedagogy. However not all educators feel this way.
"I have friends whose kids spend all day playing computer games. I hate seeing children sitting in restaurants, or at their homes being mindlessly programmed to press buttons (and keep out of their parent’s hair) with pointless computer games. What is wrong with conversation?" ~ D Benson, Principal Lower School. (email 30-12-08)
Benson’s opinion is common of most teachers/principals. However I must ask: Just how many teachers have mastered a video game?
I remember my son’s first Super Mario game when I sat during the Christmas holidays totally hooked on the gameplay. Using Luke, A., and Freebody, P. (1999) “Four resources model” I had to learn the code breaking skills needed to make meaning of the icons and characters. I then had to make meaning of how the game was played, how it could change and what was required to stay alive. I then had to use the tools given to me to activate the characters, move through minefields and arrive at the finish so I could move on to the next game. The analysis and critical thinking skills were ongoing, I even dreamed about strategies I could employ so I could rescue the Princess.
I then understood the complex literacy skills needed for gaming. I can assure Mr. Benson conversation and collaboration does occur between players.
Everyone seems to have an opinion about computer games. I would like you to consider the following stakeholder groups: URinvited2
video games waste time kids cannot concentrate in school makes kids more agressive they aren't interested in schoolwork can cause eye problems and posture problems families time to play games Kids don't do enough exercise Kids get engrossed in the game they spend so much time on the internet
I have a few opinions as a parent, but I will share just one for now. I've noticed that XBox has a feature where kids can play virtually with other kids around the world. So, in effect, the game has become a social networking tool. I think future generations need to be socialised into networking globally and develop cultural awareness and sensitivity.
Jan has used up all the obvious except for explicitly mentioning the potential damage video gaming does to social skills and socialization. This is the dark side of technology: The bright side being collaboration, which as Vygotsky would say is the "essential feature of learning that awakens a variety of internal developmental processes that are able to operate only when the child is in the action of interacting with people in his environment and in cooperation with his peers (1978)."
As a parent I actual feel that some video games promote decision making, higher order thinking and working together towards a common goal. But I also feel that they can be the greatest tool of procrastanation ever invented. (That is fo both myself and my daughter)
Before coming to the UAE my children had no video games and now they have playstation, psp, ds, and wii. Traveling through Europe they were more interested in playing ds than looking at the Swiss Alps! Having said that, they do engender a spirit of cooperation especially as Katayoun and David have suggested when used to interact with others in a social network. My children have learnt how to cook a number of dishes courtesy of some cooking games and they love brain training games and who wants to be a millionaire type games which they can play in a network situation. I am a convert to their (limited) use. They are a great motivator and reward mechanism. I have had to ban just one game that the children used called Grand theft Auto due to the violent nature and language (even though the children themselves turned down the sound due to the swearing).
Video games are a part of my son's daily life; he either plays them, talks about them with friends, or is deciding which game he'd like to buy/swap next. I try to approach it pragmatically by enforcing time restrictions (both when and length), type of game and also by getting involved. I think we both get a lot out of him teaching me how to play a game (you do need to be relatively thick skinned during this process!). Our first experience of this was a few years ago with Runescape, where he acted as my guide and we went on quests together. My sister in the UK also joined us on a number of adventures. I defy any parent to not feel pleased on seeing their child’s avatar proudly exclaiming that the character with the pink hair is his mum
I struggled with video games when they entered our home. In fact, I grew up without tv and felt strongly that it paled in comparison to books. My husband had other ideas and I had to get used to the video games in the home. I have come to accept video games in our home but our guidelines must be strict because we homeschool. I have come to see the value in some of their games, but when my daughters are playing their violins or the family is outside getting exercise, I admit to feeling better about our lives. It comes down to moderation in all things.
Students are totally engaged in gameplay Often disengaged with class lessons Become engrossed in the kids culture of games Use higher order thinking skills to solve strategy collaborate with others to solve problems research online to find solutions to game problems
Learning is fun. Students are engaged and learning at the same time. Will lessen behaviour problems in the classroom and students will be 'on task' for sustained periods. Promotes problem solving and creative thinking. Encourages group and global collaboration and 'connectedness' Concern though that if we use them frequently the novelty may wear off?? More time needed to fully explore the possibilities of games in education. Not enough resources and lesson plans to implement sucessfully.
Andy Davies
Userpage:AnDIn critical care environments in hospitals my experience would be "gamers" adapt to technology and changes more quickly and often intuitively. They definitely have less fear of using equipment.
I have used games such as 'Roller Coaster Tycoon', 'Sim City', and other simulation games to great effect. The students worked in groups and produced some of the best work when involved with the units that were based around the games. Behaviour management strategies didn't need to be used in time slots where they were working on their projects as the level of engagement was close to 100% for most of the time.
I have found games to be a great reward for students who have worked particularly well, and also a stimulus to achieve that end. This works especially well with teenage boys. Some of the primary drill and practice type games such as maths blaster or older logical thinking games like dinosaur discovery were useful in the classroom ...from what I can remember. (Those titles are showing my age)
Just totally engaged in games enjoy playing games with friends play online and challenge your thinking skills enjoy reading about games
Cathleen
Userpage:cfeereMy own response to video games has changed greatly in the last two years. There seems to be mounting evidence that games are a learning tool. What is important to remember is that there is an ethical element that is important to learn with online games. Addictive behaviour can be harmful whether you are overeating, sitting too much or gaming too much.The games are here to stay. Can we, as teachers, encourage our students to use these games as tools? I found this youtube video I thought applied to your page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecFizWZgIiA
Assuming Wii is a videogame, I found Wii Play and Big Brain Academy to be two examples of the developers attempting to give an educational value to their products that even my 4 year old can enjoy. While the old fashion Activity Books do the same, using the Wii remote and having to pace one's responses to the a preset pace set by the designers has added learning a few extra skills than children learn by 'finding the odd one out' and 'finding patterns'. In addition, using Wii is enjoyable.
I have played some wii games with my husband and children, but as a student attempting a number of courses at one time I don't really have time for games and they do not form a part of any course that I have taken. I can interpret what that says about University lecturers view of games as part of their courses!
I can always find a cheat of a walk through when I get stuck! I get instantaneos feedback and reward I'm able to access frieds to collaborate and solve the problem I can save and come back to a point in time if I get 'killed' later on.
Encourages students to be violent they cannot tell fact from fiction Not interested in working because they want to play games poor communication skills Closely linked with big business
Sarah
Userpage:SarahMedia has tended to focus on health issues with using games - poor eyesight, inactive lifestyle leading to obesity, tendency to develop specialised motor skills that aren't needed in everyday life, and so on (at least until the Wii came along).
There is no reason that a generation that can memorize over 100 Pokemon characters with all their characteristics, history and evolution can't learn the names, populations, capitals and relationships of all the 101 nations in the world. (Prensky, 2001a . Digital natives, digital immigrants, On the Horizon 9 (5) )
Researcher JP Gee (2003) recognises that video games are “new literacies”. Games include multimodal digital images, symbols, graphs, signs and sounds, to mention but a few, which convey meaning. These morph as the game continues. Most games have plots or stories with a challenge of some kind. His findings show games involve sharing, collaboration, decoding, reading, applying, research, analysis, critical evaluation, problem solving and the list goes on. All these skills teachers find difficult to teach in the classroom while the video game succeeds and engages students without a teacher.
Gee (2003) believes games are effective because players take on identities:
virtual identity in virtual worlds
real-world identity
projective identity - beliefs or values given to virtual characters.
He believes by integrating identity learning into the classroom both active learning and critical thinking improves.
A critical aspect of gaming is the social community which develops for sharing ideas/strategies to solve problems. A gaming community mirrors an educational community of practice (Oblinger 2006). There exists a learning culture where individual members are valued for their diverse contributions towards collective knowledge and skills of group understanding. This culture has support in the form of blogs, discussion threads and online game play which often leads to an international collaboration network.
Games are challenging. Individual needs are met by adaptation through difficulty levels. Higher order thinking skills are utilized for community participation, collaboration and reflection. Learning is based on constructivism and behaviorism theory, where players build on knowledge throughout the game and are rewarded for their positive results. Final completion of a game is empowering. Video games satisfy Gardner’s (1983) multiple ways of knowing theory by stimulating visual and auditory senses. "
"You can’t help but learn from them as you interact with things, so if we can put serious content into games, in the correct way, our students will learn without trying." ~ Baillie de Byl, Dr P. (news report - ABC Southern Qld, 2007)
I asked Dr Penny Baillie de Byl, developer of serious games, from Breda University, The Netherlands “What do you believe is the potential of games in education?”.
"Students nowadays have grown up with technology being part of their lives. They have come to expect on demand information via the Internet and high quality multimedia applications thanks to special effects in movies and the fast paced and rich content in video games. They are, what Marc Prensky (2000) has called “digital natives”. For educational content to reach out to these students we must speak their language. Serious games offers the opportunity to present educational material in a rich and immersive virtual learning environment. Serious games as a research field offers the opportunity to bridge the gap between learning management systems and entertainment console games by embedding real world information, knowledge and skill acquisition into interactive and authentic digital worlds." - (Dr Penny Baillie de Byl email 4-07-09)
Mc Donnell (2000) recognises that games are part of "Kids Culture". With each new generation of kids we have the new technologies of the time being reflected in the type of leisure activities in which they participate. The current negative publicity around video games can be likened to similar knee jerk reactions of the 20th century in relation to: The Bobbsey Twins and Hardy Boys, silent motion pictures, radio, comics, Elvis, rock music, TV. movies, computers, internet, computer games and mobile phones.
"Computer games are a growing part of our culture; the global market is worth billions of dollars, related activities range from published magazines to spontaneous internet communities, and the impact of games play on young people has attracted significant interest from the popular media. Three quarters of children play regularly – is this harmful or beneficial, are they learning as they play, and if so what?"~ Kirriemuir and McFarlane (2004)
Facts about games
Brand, J.E. (2009) provides the following facts about games
World of Warcraft's worldwide customer base is currently at more than 10 million players (http://us.i1.yimg.com/videogames.yahoo.com/feature/world-of-warcraft-crosses-10-million-milestone/1182041).
In 2008, 88% of Australian households had a device for playing computer games.
Of these households, 39% had one device, 27% had two devices and 16% had three devices. 18% of game households had four or more devices for gaming.
The majority of installed game devices are consoles (43%), followed by PCs (39%) and handhelds (18%); however, point of sale data shows that handhelds dominated sales of new devices in 2007-2008.
60% of game households are home to two or more gamers (Interactive Australia, 2009).
The North America video game market was valued at $12.6 billion in 2005 and is forecast to expand to $17.2 billion by 2010, according to research firm DFC Intelligence.
Parents and children are increasingly playing together. 35% of gamers are parents.
61% of gamers play for up to an hour at one time.
Playing computer games does not compete with non-media and outdoor leisure activities. Instead it competes with other media such as TV, film and movies.
Parents in game households say the positive aspects of game play are more than just enjoyment and happiness.
73% say games help their children learn about technology, 68% say games help their children learn maths, 64% say games help children learn to plan.
70% of games classified by the OFLC in 2006 were rated G or PG.
The Australian computer games industry is growing at an annualised rate of more than 15% and conducted over AUD1.3 billion in 2007 according to GfK point of sale data (IA9).
Strategy, FPS, Simulation, RPG and MMORPG and other pay-as-you-go online games made up the top five PC game genres in 2007-2008 according to unit sales data from GfK and account for 70% of PC games (IA9).
Console games accounted for 82% of all game software sales in the financial year 2007-2008 (IA9).
Between January 1, 2007, and June 30, 2007, more than half a million game consoles and 5.5 million pieces of software were sold in Australia
Young men (18-34) play 12.5 hours of videogames a week (Nielsen Entertainment)
Playing online games ranks 10th among the list of activities Australians identify as their common uses of the internet (Interactive Australia).
There was a 43% increase in console sales in Australia in 2008 (http://palgn.com.au/13566/australian-videogame-market-to-be-recession-proof/)
Younger gamers and young adults make up the bulk of handheld and console game device users and prefer Action, Racing, and Adventure games (IA9).
Females make up 46% of the player population in 2008, up from 41% in 2007 (IA9).
By 2012, the proportion of female gamers in Australia will be equal to the proportion of male gamers (IA9).
Early UK research into games
Kirriemuir's (2005) early findings about the use of games in the UK provides these facts:
The use of computer games in the classroom is increasing
Teachers who use games are quite willing to talk about their experiences and the results
Not all teachers who use games are game players
The teachers using games usually think of games as “tools” that make teaching and learning more effective
The range of games available is quite diverse
Funding is an issue- most teachers who use games, supply their own
Shaffer, Squire, Halverson & Gee "suggest that video games matter becausethey present players with simulated worlds: worlds which, if well constructed, are not just aboutfacts or isolated skills, but embody particular social practices. And we argue that video games thus make it possible for players to participate in valued communities of practice and as a result develop the ways of thinking that organize those practices."Read more
Why Games in Learning?
Multimodal texts
Multiliteracies- reading visual texts,
Visual literacy
Critical literacy
Engaging students
Higher-order thinking
Valuing students’ experiences
Andrew Burn, the associate director of the children, youth and media centre, said: "Games are a cultural form that is just beginning to evolve and the evidence is they can be every bit as rich and complex and nuanced as a book or a film." ~ Guardian.co.uk: Computer Games can help children learn Read more
Games in Learning Framework Approach
Introduces four elements of games in learning:
game study
game making
game play
game innovation
All four elements can be integrated within curriculum programs or considered independently.
A games in learning approach can be used to foster higher-order thinking.
These strands provide a vehicle for teachers to employ educational theory frameworks such as:
project-based learning
multiliteracies
multiple intelligences and
design processes.
What is Game Play?
Explores the learning and interaction elements of collaborative and cooperative play through simulations, modelling, and experimenting.
A Useful Introduction: James Gee on Games and Learning
"The secret of a videogame as a teaching machine isn't its immersive 3-D graphics, but its underlying architecture. Each level dances around the outer limits of the player's abilities, seeking at every point to be hard enough to be just doable. In cognitive science, this is referred to as the regime of competence principle, which results in a feeling of simultaneous pleasure and frustration - a sensation as familiar to gamers as sore thumbs. Cognitive scientist Andy diSessa has argued that the best instruction hovers at the boundary of a student's competence."~ Gee, J., (2003) Games, not school, are teaching kids to think. Available online at Read more
What are the benefits to Teachers and students?
Children are motivated right from the start
Engaging
Way to incorporate popular culture into the program
Students need to learn to read a variety of multimodal texts- this is one way
Links to students everyday literacies
Can be easily integrated into curriculum programs
Wealth of other texts around games that can be integrated into programs: Fan sites, gaming magazines, reviews, official games sites, blogs, Wikis, Machinima
Social aspect of game play- Communication skills
Marc Prensky and his ideas on learning
Our students have changed radically.
Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach.
Our students today are all “native speakers” of the digital language of computers, video games and the Internet.
Today’s students represent the first generations to grow up with this new technology.
They have spent their entire lives surrounded by and using computers, videogames, digital music players, video cams, cell phones, and all the other toys and tools of the digital age.
The single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant teachers, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.
Unfortunately for our Digital Immigrant teachers, the students sitting in their classes grew up on the “twitch speed” of video games and MTV. They are used to the immediacy of hypertext, downloaded music, phones in their pockets, a library on their laptops, beamed messages and instant messaging. They've been networked most or all of their lives. They have little patience for lectures, step-by-step logic, and “tell-test” instruction.
Change our methodology and content
Emphasis on “Future” content: it is digital and technological. But while it includes software, hardware, robotics, nanotechnology, genomics, etc. it also includes the ethics, politics, sociology, languages and other things that go with them.
Prensky, Marc (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Read more
The following report from Unlimited Learning provides research and statistics about game development and statistics. Instead of reading the whole article, choose an area to summarize and share your findings.
Report: http://www.elspa.com/assets/files/u/unlimitedlearningtheroleofcomputerandvideogamesint_344.pdf " rel="external">"Unlimited Learning: Computer and video games in the learning landscape (2006)"
Purpose of the report:
To provide an overview or snapshot of games and the potential of games in learning (in the UK)
To present case studies of what is happening in classrooms
To examine research into the benefits of games
Choose one of the areas of the report to read. Then use the following table to reflect on the key points from one of the following chapters from Unlimited Learning:
What games teach (pp. 14-19, includes Appendices D and E)
As I read this chapter of your report it brought to mind this information that I thought might support some of this information. In her books, The Way They Learn and Every Child Can Succeed, Cynthia Ulrich Tobias addresses four general learning styles: Concrete Sequential, Abstract Sequential, Abstract Random, and Concrete Random. She expressed the importance of offering experiences that optimize students’ learning styles. I have used online simulations quite extensively with children. Although I have not used games in my teaching I have used simulation “games” that seem to span across the learning styles. I have seen this apply to games in experiences outside the classroom. The Concrete Sequential student wants consistent dependable facts. The game allows him to see the results of an action or to experience a desired outcome. The Abstract Sequential has the opportunity to analyze information in a deliberate systematic way. While the Concrete Sequential and perhaps the Abstract Sequential will read any instruction before attempting the activity, the Abstract Random and Concrete Random student may want to be more creative in his approach. He may hop into the game without reading any of the instructions. Often he would prefer to figure out the things he needs to know. He may want to try all of his options and see what happens in each case. He may follow no specific order but, in the end, is able to come to a strong conclusion of what worked and what did not. For this student, the fact that he was able to try “the wrong way” or “a different way” adds to the learning experience. Games, in my experience seem to add confidence to the child that needs some structure and creative licence to others. As a personal experience I have a 16 year old son and twin 13 year old girls. They have had to work out compromises when they play games. In a game where you are timed, have to collect items, destroy items or move levels, my son is very focused! He collects, he destroys, he watches the clock. My daughters, on the other hand would just as soon “explore the land”. They’ll follow railway tracks or walk through castles, walk behind the waterfall or slide down the pipe “just because”. Meanwhile the frustration level in my son rises and rises until.... they find a shortcut or a collectable item or... find out that you can walk through this wall. It is amazing how they have now learned to use the strengths in each other. My son is now willing to let them play on a new level (while he walks away) and then is able to glean from them the information that he needs to win! I have also learned a great deal about how my children learn. It has been life-changing in the approach I have to their education. http://www.applest.com/aboutus.htm http://books.google.ca/books?as_auth=Cynthia+Ulrich+Tobias&source=an&ei=g4aNSpGAOoaksgO_nuXfCQ&sa=X&oi=book_group&ct=title&cad=author-navigational&resnum=4
Games in an educational context (pp. 20-27, includes Appendix F)
This section of the report provides an overview of digital gaming models in use in classrooms today. It discusses the Bespoke interactive educational games and the COTS (commercial off the shelf) games) The report outlines how the Bespoke games are specifically designed for education, and therefore, their advantage is that they align with learning outcomes and they usually come with teaching resources to support their implemntation. On the other hand, the COTS games are highly appealing to students and do support a student centered, collaborative approach, whilst promoting thinking and problem solving. However these games are still treated with suspicion by some educational practitioners because of issues related to the lack of resources to assist teachers to successfully use these games to achieve educational outcomes. The report recommends that COTS games need appropriate materials provided (such as lesson plans)
Games are popular for informal learning for everyone from pre-schoolers through to adult learners. This section of the paper describes some groups that are particularly responsive to games for learning (disengaged school students and young adults for example). Games are seen as overcoming traditional barriers to learning (such as disengagement with the concept of learning at all). It also notes that there is something of a gap in computer games for educating adults - many of the games are not terribly adult-oriented. Last year I saw an exception to this in a news story which showed Wiis being introduced into retirement homes, allowing older people to get some exercise by playing Wii Tennis or Wii Bowls. 'Mind-training' games are also seen as 'adult-oriented' although these seem more like work than games to me! This chapter also looks at the 'Serious Games' movement and the concern that by making games 'serious' they lose their appeal, especially for informal learning situations. In my own (5+ years) experience of building online games for P-12 students, they are often willing to stick even a dull or monotonous game out to the end, as a preference to anything less interactive (eg: reading a textbook). This chapter also mentions the movement of informal learning to mobile platforms - Jan you may be interested in this recent study of informal learning on mobiles, published earlier this year: Clough, G., Jones, A. C., McAndrew, P., & Scanlon, E. (2009). Informal Learning Evidence in Online Communities of Mobile Device Enthusiasts. In M. Ally (Ed.), Mobile Learning: Transforming the Delivery of Education and Training, 99-112. http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120155
The future of learning (pp. 44- 47); Conclusion (pp. 48-49)
Put your summary here
Types of gaming platforms
Equipment
Developer
Price
X Box 360
Developed by Microsoft Wireless controllers Internet capabilities- play online, online marketplace Access and control media on your PC right from the Xbox 360 console - TV, videos, music Watch DVDs directly on your Xbox 360 Connect your MP3 player or iPod, rip CDs direct to the Xbox 360 Connect a digital camera to view digital photos
Xbox 360- $399.95, games $89.00
Wii
Developed by Nintendo Use up to 4 controllers Motion sensing gaming- Sensor Bar works with the Wii Remotes to synchronize arm movements with on-screen characters Connects wirelessly with Nintendo DS Communicates wirelessly with the Internet SD memory card slot gives the ability to share photos and MP3s Compatible with all Nintendo GameCube titles.
$399.95, games $79.00- $99.00
Playstation 3
Developed by Sony Wireless controllers Play games Motion-tracking and interactivity offered through the Eye Toy Play movies in high definition (Blu-ray disc format) View photos Listen to music Internet connectivity Access stored content on the PS3 with a PSP via a wireless broadband connection
$749.00, games $99.00- $129.00
DS and DS Lite
Developed by Nintendo Hand-held console 2 LCD screens Touch-screen technology- use finger or stylus Wireless LAN- create a wireless network of up to 16 players (may require only one game card to play, depends on the title) PictoChat facility allows you to send drawings and text messages to other users (local wireless- within 30 feet) Port for Game Boy Advance Games (GBA)
$199.00, games $49.00
PS Portable
Developed by Sony Hand-held console Play games Listen to music View films (UMD format) View photos Wireless (WLAN) capabilities for multiplayer games Internet capabilities Ability to share files
$279.00, games $49.00- $69.00
PC
There are many games, including SIMS games which are available to play on your PC: Roller Coaster Tycoon Zoo Tycoon Flight Simulator Age of Empires
$800.00, games- $30.00- $120.00
What are COTS Games?
Commercial off-the-shelf games
Designed, built, produced and marketed purely for fun and entertainment and not for educational needs or markets
The below slide-share provides information about COTS games being used in the classroom. Choose one game of interest or any of your choice (you may have used or your children may be using) and give a summary about how these games have been used in an educational setting.
"Taking place in an unspoilt, fantastic countryside, players need to create an environment where critters can make themselves at home. But these are no normal animals- they’re living piñatas! The idea is to lure in wild, black-and-white piñatas with attractive habitats and yummy plants. If they choose to stay, they take on brilliant plumage to show they’ve joined your menagerie. There are scores available, including horses, giraffes, elephants, snakes, crocodiles and more and it’s up to you to maintain a sustainable environment." — Marie Leech and Heather Wessling, Microsoft Teacher's Award, 2007.
"Myst is the highest selling PC game of all time. It has beautifully rendered landscapes and imaginative storyline that comes together with the game play. This game has been integrated with school literacy programs with amazing success. So much so that whole literacy programs have been designed around this game." ~Alex Finlayson July 11, 2009 Read more...
Mr Alex Finlayson from Clermont State School, Queensland has created the above website with links to his literacy unit planning and learning materials.
Watch the following video of Myst see more Game: Rollarcoaster Tycoon
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 is a strategy and simulation game in which players manage all aspects of an amusement park by building or removing rides, scenery and amenities, adjusting the park's finances, hiring staff, and keeping the park visitors, known as "peeps", happy. RollerCoaster Tycoon features two main game modes. The career mode features scenarios where players must accomplish goals, such as impressing a visiting celebrity or attaining a certain park rating. Each scenario has three levels of objectives ranked as Apprentice, Entrepreneur, and Tycoon; the higher the level, the harder the goal to complete. A third of the scenarios are initially playable, with the rest unlocked by completing objectives at each level. The second mode of play is the sandbox mode. Players are given a large, empty plot of land and unlimited funds with which to build their custom parks.RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 includes new gameplay features such as the CoasterCam, which allows players to "ride" roller coasters and other rides, and the MixMaster, which allows the player to coordinate firework shows and time them to in-game music. Another new feature is an in-game recorder allowing players to record their parks, rides and more. ~ Wikipedia
Rollercoaster Tycoon has been used widely in education in the past and is still one of the leaders in quality and design. It provides students with an opportunity to explore a range of mathematics and physics concepts as they take on the role of manager of their very own theme park. The mathematics within this game is almost endless. Students can explore statistics on the speeds, angles, weight and drops of each coaster or ride they create. They can view dynamic real-time graphs that show rollercoaster speeds and visitor ratings and attendance statistics.
The following shows how Rollercoaster Tycoon has been used for a year 8 Science project.
This unit of work was formed around a problem-based learning project where students were asked to design a roller coaster. Students worked in groups of four to design a roller coaster that met five criteria. The criteria included ride safety, construction costs, length of ride, ride theme-ing and thrill factor. Each group worked as if it was part of an engineering design firm. The group had to demonstrate the concept of their proposal by building a working scale model. Finally, each group gave a presentation to the prospective buyer. Their presentation required them to explain their design choices and demonstrate physics concepts using their model.~Kirsten Bishop, Science teacher at Windaroo Valley State High School Read more...
Examines the genre of the game, features, audience, learning purpose and the application.
It encourages critical thinking including analysis and evaluation, linking directly to critical multi-literacies.
Game Study thinking skills
Analysing
Questioning
Finding
Comparing
Organising
Deconstructing
Evaluating
Making Curriculum Links
Students need the skills to critically view games to:
Deconstruct them
Looks at ways to analyse the ideologies presented in them
Think about how smaller parts make up the whole game experience
Explore how games are reviewed and rated by the experts. Read more
Literacy Frameworks
Luke and Freebody’s Four Resources Model
Bill Green’s Three Dimensions of Literacy Model
Code Breaker: Operational
Text Participant: Cultural
Text User: Cultural
Text Analyst: Critical
Critical literacy practices are central to both conceptualisations of what it means to be a literate person in the 21st century.
What is critical literacy?
Critical literacy involves the analysis and critique of the relationships among texts, language, power, social groups and social practices.
It shows us ways of looking at written, visual, spoken, multimedia and performance texts to question and challenge the attitudes, values and beliefs that lie beneath the surface.
What does critical literacy include?
examining meaning within texts
considering the purpose for the text and the composer’s motives
understanding that texts are not neutral, that they represent particular views, silence other points of *view and influence people’s ideas
questioning and challenging the ways in which texts have been constructed
analysing the power of language in contemporary society
emphasising multiple readings of texts. (Because people interpret texts in the light of their own *beliefs and values, texts will have different meanings to different people.)
having students take a stance on issues.
providing students with opportunities to consider and clarify their own attitudes and values.
What type of critical literacy questions can be asked?
These Critical Literacy Questions can be asked of most spoken, written, visual, multimedia and performance texts. They encourage students to question beliefs that are often taken for granted.
Textual purpose(s)
What is this game about?
How do we know?
Who would be most likely to play this game and why?
Why are we playing this game?
What do the designers/makers of the game want us to know?
Textual structures and features
What are the structures and features of the game?
What sort of genre does the game belong to?
What do the images suggest?
What do the words suggest?
What kind of language is used in the game?
Construction of characters
How are children, teenagers or young adults constructed in this game?
How are adults constructed in this game?
Why have the designers/ makers of the game represented the characters in a particular way?
Gaps and silences
Are there "gaps" and "silences" in the text?
Who is missing from the text?
What has been left out of the text?
What questions about itself does the text not raise?
Power and interest
In whose interest is the text?
Who benefits from the text?
Is the text fair?
What knowledge does the reader/viewer need to bring to this text in order to understand it? Which positions, voices and interests are at play in the text?
How is the reader or viewer positioned in relation to the composer of the text?
How does the text depict age, gender and/or cultural groups?
Whose views are excluded or privileged in the text?
Who is allowed to speak?
Who is quoted?
Why is the text written the way it is?
Whose view: whose reality?
What view of the world is the text presenting?
What kinds of social realities does the text portray?
How does the text construct a version of reality?
What is real in the text?
How would the text be different if it were told in another time, place or culture?
Interrogating the composer
What kind of person, and with what interests and values, composed the text?
What view of the world and values does the composer of the text assume that the reader/viewer holds? **How do we know?
Multiple meanings
What different interpretations of the text are possible?
How do contextual factors influence how the text is interpreted?
How does the text mean?
How else could the text have been written?
How does the text rely on inter-textuality to create its meaning?
~ Tasmanian Department of Education: Critical LiteracyRead more
Critical questions to ask of games
What seems to be the nature of the game's appeal?
How does it draw on existing myths and narratives?
How does it draw on other cultural forms?
How is it reshaping both of these and to what end?
How does 'reading' this text expand traditional definitions of literacy - that is, What 'non literary’ stylistic elements contribute to the whole?
What cultural values and ideologies seem to be presented through the game?
What is the game 'selling'?
How does this game draw the reader/player in?
What questions or issues does the text raise for you?
How can we make game play integral to teaching and learning?
Carmel
I found this little video on Classroom 2.0 related to the Europaen UnionProject - Games in Education Carmel 'We recently completed the final pilot of the European Union funded education project ARGuing for Multilingual Motivation in Web 2.0 http://www.arg-education.eu. This project has built an ARG to promote language learning in secondary school students called the, 'The Tower of Babel'.
Alice is an educational software package that teaches students computer programming in a 3D environment. Alice is not an off the shelf game or a video game. However, it is related to this topic and is used by many schools and students worldwide. Alice is an innovative 3D programming environment that makes it easy to create an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a video to share on the web. Alice is a freely available teaching tool designed to be a student's first exposure to object-oriented programming. It allows students to learn fundamental programming concepts in the context of creating animated movies and simple video games. In Alice, 3-D objects (e.g., people, animals, and vehicles) populate a virtual world and students create a program to animate the objects.' In Alice's interactive interface, students drag and drop graphic tiles to create a program, where the instructions correspond to standard statements in a production oriented programming language, such as Java, C++, and C#. Alice allows students to immediately see how their animation programs run, enabling them to easily understand the relationship between the programming statements and the behavior of objects in their animation. By manipulating the objects in their virtual world, students gain experience with all the programming constructs typically taught in an introductory programming course.' Many high schools in my area use Alice and integrate it with other learning areas...eg. English, Mathematics and Science. http://alice.org
Kahootz Kahootz is 3D animation and gamemaking software, specially created for the educational setting. Kahootz is software that allows students to create 3D animations. With a range of exciting new features Kahootz 3.0 provides students with even more ways to create amazing stories, inventions, habitats, games, movies and soundtracks. Kahootz has an appealing and easy to use interface and students can choose their own soundtracks, (create your own or choose pre made ones, ) 3D objects and virtual worlds, special effects, game making actions, and heaps more. The huge advantage of Kahootz is that it can be used in all subject areas! It integrates across all subjects and, by using Kahtooz, students are engaging in an interactive, challenging and student centred approach to learning. The Kahootz program encourages global collaboration. Students or schools can have their own Kahootz website and share their movies and interactions with other schools worldwide. The Kahootz website has ideas for teaching and learning activities...and there is training offered in the use of Kahootz. http://www.kahootz.com/kz/templates/home,About.vm?navItem=common/home
I found this video on The Power of Tangential Learning at Edge:The Global Game Industry Network. The video is based on an article by James Portnow who argues that "Simply by presenting the player with opportunities to discover interesting ideas that they may not have otherwise come across you are setting the groundwork for learning".
In a 2004 article titled, Video games and the future of learning, David Williamson Shaffer, Kurt R. Squire, Richard Halverson, and James P. Gee argue that video games change the way we learn and are a powerful tool in education, if game designs are grounded in appropriate and coherent learning theories, AND educators understand the significant social and cognitive skills players acquire when they develop identities and participate in simulated worlds.
I think Tim Ryland's use of Myst is probably one of the more well-known examples of using games for learning. He got a lot of publicity after he won a BECTA award a number of years ago for his use of the computer game Myst to encourage literacy and music learning in primary school students. The video below gives a pretty good idea of how using the computer game in a class activity is encouraging students in their use of language. See his website for more information.
Amory et al., 1999 found that first- and second-year university students preferred strategy and adventure games to shooters and simulations, but that the lowest rating went to the only educational game on the list (SimIsle, one of the few that have been commercially successful). Students complained that the interface was hard to use; that it was difficult to input and understand information with it. Many educational games are poorly constructed and simply not fun. On the other hand, most games, even some intended to be educational, do not involve useful learning. Learning goals have to be essential for winning or the material is likely to be ignored (Lepper and Cordova, 1992 ).
Games in learning:
Used to improve communication, work flow and output by having students work together on game play and communicate their "hints" in secure discussion forums through CMS
Used to enable groups of students to work more effectively on tasks my motivating them to share their understanding of game play in different formats.
Used to enable information to be communicated differently or more effectively through collaborative tasks.
Used for a real purpose within a real contexts through critical literacy of text and media concerns.
It enables students to work digitally in online communities
It enable students to work dynamically in online and digital environments
It enable students to apply higher order thinking processes to enable other areas of their learning
It enable students to look at things from different perspectives
It provides opportunities to participate in a simulated environment where normally they would not have the opportunity in a similar environment in real life.
It enables students to access knowledge and information from digital sources
Students are able to most effectively communicate their learning using ICT
It enables students to experience and replicate modern work processes
What Curriculum links can we make to Key Learning Areas, essentials learnings and standards? URinvited2
Find a game of interest and share with us your ideas about how it can be linked to curriculum areas. This can provide a valuable resource for others who may like to integrate games into their classroom. Please supply any links to relevant webpages that may clarify our understanding.
SOSE: Place and Space strand, Focus on a sustainable environment, Impact of changes on environments, Ways to care for a place, Resource use, Futures perspective
English: Writing tasks - character profile, advertsement, design and make a board game, crossword instructions, jingle, report, email, poem, postcard.Reading rotations- game manual, chears, tips and tricks, Viewing -deconstructing advertisements and game cover design (Visual literacy)
Maths: Problem solving, Chance and data, Number, Operations, Maths investigations (percentages, fractions, graphing)
The Arts: Visual Arts- collage, sketching, 3D constructions, design considerations (colour, line, shape, texture), pastels, Media:- posters, advertisements, webpages, Drama
ICT's: Project Room- polls, forums, blog. Class webpage. Online chat with Rare (game designers) Excel- track animals in garden environment, percentage. Brochures. Inspiration- brainstorm an ideal garden; flowchart to record their changes to the environment. Machinima: Wiki- characters, tips, tricks, cheats
Thinking skills: Problem solving, Decision making, Making hypotheses, Comparing, Evaluating, Strategic thinking, Planning, Analysing
Communication Skills: Negotiation, Explaining, Problem solving, Shared decision making, Encouragement, Comparing, Describing, Justifying
Assessment: Linked to SOSE core learning outcomes, Journal writing reflecting on changes to environment and impact on flora and fauna (assessment criteria sheet), Writing tasks, Maths investigation, Arts tasks
Associated Text around games: Fan sites, Gaming Magazines, Reviews, Official sites, Blogs, Wikis, Machinima
Real NameUserpage:kGUserName? Game Summary of curriculum links
What authentic assessment tasks can be developed around games and game play?
Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 Robina State High School, Gold Coast, Queensland Has also used Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 as a focus for their Tourism Course which was introduced into their school specifically to engage at risk students in Year 11 and 12. As part of their assessment the students had to achieve a level of expertise using the game to satisfy the knowledge criteria of their assessment item. As part of the unit the students visited both Dreamworld and Movieworld on the Gold Coast as part of their project. Link Robina State High School assessment item. Read more...
What skills can be developed through game play- how can these become explicit components of the planned curriculum?
Games combines many of the 21st century learning skills that will be critical to success in the future:
Thinking creatively
Communicating clearly
Analysing systematically
Collaborating effectively
Designing
Problem solving
Making decisions
Thinking sequentially and logically
Thinking divergently
Game Making
Involves the design and software components, idea sharing, problem solving, higher-order thinking and team building
Why Game Making
Games and games creation has now been recognised as an important career choice for many students (it's a billion dollar industry) and as an important learning tool that covers many subject matters: -
A stepping stone to learning more complicated programming languages like C++ or C#.
Teach graphic, art and design skills, learning concepts like animation, transparency and Alpha channels.
Teach mathematics in an interesting and fun way.
Every game needs a story, teach the art of storytelling and storyboarding.
Game Making thinking skills
Creating
Designing
Problem solving
Analysing
Planning
Devising
Constructing
Decision making
How do I make it work?
Integrated unit planning session
Involving students in designing curriculum content and developing ideas for how games will be used
Timetabling access to the consoles (in class)
Consoles in classrooms for at least a term
Developing explicit links to KLAs and Essential Learnings
Helping children become critical users of video games
Other engaging experiences around games- online chat with Game Developers, Project Room in Blackboard
"Clickteam prides itself on developing powerful but intuitive creation tools. Tools where the user is not frustrated by syntax and where the learning curve is easy." ~ Clickteam teacher website. Read more
What are the challenges?
Access to/ purchase of equipment- consoles, TVs, games
Availability of suitable games within our age range
Equity- making sure all children have the opportunity to engage with these texts
Selling the idea to other teachers, principles and parents
Newsletter articles with research evidence
Publication on school website with links to supporting research
Word of mouth- children and teachers
Success stories from teachers
Profiles of teachers and their stories who have won the Teachers’ Microsoft Innovative Teacher’s Awards
How are games being used?
A recent European study, (2009) looks at how teachers use digital games in the classroom with their students for learning purposes.
The study asked, are digital games being used in the classroom, in a structured and integrated way? The answer is definitely yes – and their use is increasing. The picture varies greatly, in terms of pace of integration, patterns of use and the goals teachers have in mind. But all teachers using games share the desire to ensure their pupils engage with their own learning processes, play an active role, and improve their academic achievement.
Following an initial literature review, classroom practices were observed and interviews were carried out with around thirty policy-makers representing various education systems. A community of practice, obtaining and exchanging views with teachers and practitioners was also organised.
A major component of the study is a survey of 600 teachers: two thirds of the survey respondents already use digital games in their teaching. They also report a very positive impact on motivation, and good results in personal, intellectual and social skills. The picture is more varied as regards the impact on critical skills and performance in specific subjects.
"A groundbreaking new European study, released today at a major EU conference hosted by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, sheds light on how teachers use digital games in the classroom with their pupils for learning purposes." ~ Digital games in classroom teaching: how do teachers use them? Read more
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Jan
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Carmel
I found this little video on Classroom 2.0 related to the Europaen UnionProject - Games in Education Carmel 'We recently completed the final pilot of the European Union funded education project ARGuing for Multilingual Motivation in Web 2.0 http://www.arg-education.eu. This project has built an ARG to promote language learning in secondary school students called the, 'The Tower of Babel'. This video was posted by Joel Josephson on http://www.classroom20.com/ I also provided a summary of the report, 'Games in an Educational Context' and some information on Alice http://alice.org and Kahootz http://www.kahootz.com/kz/
Katayoun
I added two links to two articles (and a video) in the section on how video games can be integrated into teaching. I also added comments on video games as a parent and as a student.
I added comments to the page as a parent, teacher and student. This is a great web page!
Paula
I added the video of James Gee talking about games and learning and by adding comments regarding my views on games as a parent.
Name
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Info. 
Planning to use games for learning? Games Evaluation Template
Wiki
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